Bigger Doesn't Mean Better!

I was working away at my desk today when I suddenly thought, "I love my job."  I began to reflect back to a time not that far ago.  A higher position with higher pay; a luxury apartment with all the bells and whistles.  Stressed. Overworked. Discontent. I scribbled a note in my "little" notebook, one of my favorite Christmas gifts.  After work, I found my chillow eased my neck pain.  These gifts may seem small to someone on the outside looking in, but the significance of them to me is beyond words.  I use my notebook to scribble my thoughts when I don't have time to type them out.  That chillow has given me many hours of pain relief.  I don't have a dishwasher or pool, but I'm content where I am at. Having the biggest doesn't necessarily mean the best.  The best actually comes from within and what you choose to fill that spot with.  Some of the best things in my life are seemingly the smallest.  God is good like that!

~ Chelle, f8ithgal
    5/20/14

Inside Reflections

If you have followed me on this journey for very long you know I have what I call "ugly" days, "fat" days, and, yes, "pretty" days. Today I was blessed with a "pretty" day.  I began to reflect on these various days. I'm the same person every day, yet some days I look in the mirror and think blah, what a trainwreck. Other days I might look in the same mirror and see this fat lady staring back (even though I hadn't gained a pound).  Then there are those days when I look in yet the same mirror and think how pretty I look today.

What gives? It's the same person, same mirror. How can I view myself so completely different on any given day? Today it hit me, how I view myself is an outer reflection to what I am feeling internally. When I am at peace within it reflects through the smile on my face. Reversaly, when I'm not content it also reflects the negative image that I perceive of myself. 

I think we all have "ugly" days from time to time. It becomes an issue when the "ugly" days start to devour the "pretty" days. How do we tilt the ball back into our favor? Focus on the positive. It goes right back to what God has been weighing in my heart. You have to make a conscious effort to maintain a positive mindset.

Our thoughts are huge. The devil knows this, so he is constantly bombarding them with negative things. We need to speak life into our lives. When that negative thoughts creep in cancel it with a positive thought. When that mirror says uggggg, say God made me in His image and I am beautiful! 

I have no doubt, "ugly" days will attempt to infiltrate mind again, but I am determined to not let them take up residence. Today is a "pretty" day and I am thankful to see my inner beauty flowing on the outside. Thanks for taking the time to read my nightly rambles.

~ Chelle

    5/19/14

The Rice Fields of Life

The rice fields have simply amazed me the last several times we traveled throughout Louisiana. God began using them to really speak to my heart.  Things in my life had been to accumulate into an overwhelming mess or so I thought...

These rice fields appear to be completely flooded.  All you see are these vast areas of water with little crawl fish traps bobbing up from them.  How could a plant not just survive but thrive when it is being drown in water?  The answer is unbelieving simple, it is necessary for it's growth.  It is fed nutrients deep into its roots, cleansed, and prepared to blossom; all through the purging process.

 


Isn't that much like what God sometimes must do in our lives?  Perhaps we start to get too comfortable where we are at or maybe we have wondered away from the voice of God.  Being complacent is not living and when life is so busy it drowns out the voice of God it is not acceptable.  Life should be a constant growing and learning process. The journey of life should also bring us closer to God. That growth needs to be rejuvenated when we our lives become clouded, stagnate, or even stumped. Much like the rice, God needs to purge us, cleanse us, and force us to grow in Him.  This isn't an easy process, it feels like we are bobbing to keep our heads above water.  At times, we feel completely submerged by the worldly turmoil around us.

Then something amazing begins to happen.  Sprouts of life begin to poke up through the submerged waters.  As the water receds, we find an abundance of life.  We didn't drown, we were cleansed.  We didn't die, we were renewed.  Our growth can now flourish and as it does the most amazing thing happens... others begin to reap from our amazing journey.  The process was difficult; but look at you now, others are encouraged and learning through you.  Inevitably, you will aid them in their growth process too.  Look at God, He is good!  He has it all planned out so instead of being discouraged by your purging, be encouraged and excited at what will become of it!

~ Chelle
    5/17/14

PMS Demons

The PMS demons are winning tonight.  I seem too weak to focus on the battle they have waged.  Their piercing arrows laced with fear take aim at my heart while their nasty pitch forks of doubt poke into my mind.  My soul weeps, for what?  I don't even know.  The tears continue to flow, not even quenched by the heat boiling out of these creatures.  They bombard me with nightmares of the past, my vision is clouded from their smoke, and confusion seems to abound all around me.  Suddenly the water pouring my my eyes starts to dampen their ground.  I can see them sinking before my eyes, back into the depths of hell that they crawled out of.  A cleansing is taking place with each drop that falls, they can not survive the pure waters.  Light starts to seep through the broken cracks of my heart now piercing through the darkness.  My soul is renewed.  I'm taking back this battle and forcing my mind to comply.  I am a child of the light, the darkness can not win.  A battle they may gain, but the war is mine in the end.

~ Chelle, #f8ithgal
    5/12/14

Karma

Karma. What goes around comes back around, right? Indeed. It does. I used to think this was a good thing. I can't remember how many times I've said, "she will regret that when it comes back and bites her in the butt" or "he'll get what he deserved." If we are honest with ourselves, I bet we've all said it a lot in life. 

I saw karma face to face today, in full force. She was raging, bitter, and just mean. I wasn't on the receiving end but felt the pain just the same. The horrible thing this person had done to me, all I  had been put through, bounced back like a rubber band snapping against the person flipping it. My anger turned into a deep sadness with the understanding of the depth of their pain.  I no longer wanted them to hurt as I had been. In fact, my soft heart just wanted to take away their pain. I no longer wanted karma to exact her revenge on my behalf, my heart longed to make it all better.

I still had the feeling of brokenness. It didn't change the feeling of being betrayed. The seeds of mistrust had still been planted. Ahhhhh, but healing had started to take root with the seeds of forgiveness. I began to think of Christ's forgiveness in my life. Where would I be with out it. While wishing karma on someone can easily be understood to someone on the outside looking in, I think I need to choose a different route. Perhaps a prayer for my Heavenly Father to touch their heart and protect them from the karma they created.... and a prayer for myself to forgive the offenses against me with the same love and heart of Jesus. These were my thoughts tonight. 

~ Chelle, #f8ithgal